To ascertain whether reading attitudes changed as boys and girls progressed through the grades, a reading attitude inventory was administered to 234 children in grades one through six. Items in the inventory were grouped into the following categories: free reading in the classroom, organized reading in the classroom, reading at the library,…

A study examined whether the use of a listening station (comprised of books on tapes) would have a positive effect upon the reading interest of first graders. Subjects, 18 first grade children who were randomly selected from three reading groups in a suburban community school, were equally divided into an experimental and a control sample. While…

Noting that modern technology is challenging both the form and the function of the book and its role as the principal instrument for transmitting accumulated knowledge and ideas, this report examines the ways in which technological innovation is modifying the role and function of reading in industralized societies and how readers are integrating…

Individuals in 14 job categories at the Analytical Instrument Division of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation were observed and interviewed for six months to determine their reading practices at work and in leisure settings. The individuals ranged from a research chemist and a printed circuit designer, to a quality assurance inspector and a mechanical…

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a national program that seeks to motivate children to read. Implemented by local sponsors and aimed at disadvantaged groups, it offers participating children a wide selection of attractive paperbound books about interesting people, places, and events. The multisite evaluation discussed in this technical report…

Before launching any publications, a newly formed publishing company in New Delhi, India, surveyed its potential readership to develop a demographic overview of the community, to determine patterns and preferences of magazine use, and to develop a profile of perceived and real readership needs. A questionnaire eliciting such information was given…

A study was conducted to determine if the "New Realism" in adolescent literature provided a more realistic picture of the psychological and social characteristics of adolescents than did earlier forms of the genre. An analysis was conducted of five novels written before 1960 and five written after that date to determine themes of identity and the…

Two studies investigated the relationships between readability, prior knowledge, and interest in the material being read. In the first study, 169 college freshmen read cloze passages of materials from the Nelson-Denny Reading Tests, then one week later read the whole passages and completed the related multiple choice questions. A control group…

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship of fiction reading to adult development. Eighty students at an adult education center completed questionnaires that elicited information concerning their reading of fiction and their adult experiences, as well as demographic information. The results yielded a picture of a group of adult readers…

This study compared the reading interests and habits of American and Canadian senior high school students and examined the extent to which the English curricula in their schools coincide with those reading interests. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 680 students in three schools (urban, suburban, and rural) in the New Britain,…

Recent research indicates that boys read as well as girls if given high-interest material but read more poorly if given low-interest material. This study investigated possible factors contributing to the facilitating effect of interest of boys. Two experiments were performed to learn whether high-interest topics are associated with traditionally…

Reports findings of a survey in which approximately 800 fifth and sixth grade students chose their favorite children's "classics." (FL)

Describes the construction of a nonreading instrument (Preschool Reading Attitudes Scale) designed to assess attitudes toward reading in young children, aged three through five years. Demonstrates the scale to be valid and reliable with these age groups. (HOD)

This paper asks how findings from emergent literacy (the study of the reading and writing behaviors that develop into conventional literacy) can combine with findings from oral language development to expand the services provided to preschoolers with language impairments. After giving an overview of major concepts and research of emergent…

Concludes that in-home subscriptions to magazines that appeal to students' interests can improve their reading skills. (FL)